


Disturb the Peace

by slightlyjillian



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-24
Updated: 2010-01-24
Packaged: 2017-10-06 16:17:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightlyjillian/pseuds/slightlyjillian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>He had to maintain his reputation for a tight fist and a quick eye for a scam.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Disturb the Peace

Nichol wasn't exactly certain when he had become accustom to the perpetual smell of animals, sweat from the performers and burnt sugar from the food tent. After helping unload the painted ponies for the merry-go-round, he'd gone to sit in the ticket booth. Counting the cash in the box, Nichol did some conversion figures in his head to make sure he knew the local currency well enough to make change. It didn't do for the kids to pull anything over on the surly ticket-master. He had to maintain his reputation for a tight fist and a quick eye for a scam.

That attentiveness to detail and seemingly sixth sense about a person's intentions had earned Nichol the recommendation for the job in the first place. He knew that Trowa Barton had barely kept in a smirk when they'd stood shoulder to shoulder opposite the manager's desk. But a grunt and a handshake secured the hire. All quite unlike the humiliation of his other interviews where noble sentiment and lingering prejudice for which side of the war one fought on not only lost the prospective job but Nichol had heard enough lectures.

That had been five years ago. Five years in space touring the colonies, amusing the locals, transporting the aging gear and bored animals from location to location. Now and again, Barton was able to get the manager to add a new show or teach the animals a new trick.

Then Catherine had said, "Viktor! You should be manager."

Nichol still cringed to hear someone use his given name. The slightly more acceptable _Vitya_ had been what his grandparents had called him when he was small. He hardly thought of them anymore. That life felt so long ago.

He hadn't told her to stop however. Something about the way she smiled so kindly when she'd made the ludicrous comment which he'd immediately snuffed. It'd become a bit of a joke between himself and Barton. Except when Trowa began to say "Vik-" the Russian would throw a punch and see how fast the lean man could run.

Nichol had a lot of practice running. He stretched his legs and standing, kicked the stool into one corner of the small structure. The space was enclosed to protect the ticket master from whatever weather they might encounter. Especially on Earth. This was his first show planet side. Nichol stepped outside and shielded his eyes to look up at the blistering star in the bluest of skies.

If they hadn't misjudged the distance, the cash drawer might not have cracked like a gunshot against the open ticket window. Spinning, Nichol saw the teenage culprits kicking their heels in the direction of the nearest village. Without hesitation, Nichol raced after.

The playful chases with Trowa in variable station gravity gave Nichol an advantage. Determining which of the boys had the money, Nichol reached around and securely captured the panting youth.

"Don't even think about it," Nichol sneered as the boy's companion hesitated with a crazy look on his pink face. "I was on the wrong side of the war and I did very very bad things."

After that, the cowering youngsters marched back to the circus tents to wait for the authorities.

***

"Are you sure you want to be here when the law comes to get these two?" Trowa asked. He leaned against the wall near the only window in Nichol's trailer. The older man had a very quaint living space, nothing but a bed and sheets in the narrow space. The teens sat on the bed dutifully hanging their heads.

Nichol shrugged, "I suppose I'll have to fill out forms or give a report or something. You talked to them, what did they say?"

The silence warned Nichol moments before Trowa's almost imperceptible smile. At one time, Nichol could read Trowa's off-kilter sense of humor before the consequences were knocking at the door.

Someone knocked at the door. Nichol stood straighter.

A head full of reddish curls poked inside. "Viktor! Ready to hand over the hoodlums?" Catherine flashed Nichol a toothy smile before turning to scowl at the boys who were too busy staring at their hands to notice.

She stepped inside all long legs and very short cut-off jeans. Catherine knew that Nichol appreciated the way that she could wear the boyish casual clothes almost more than her cleavage heaving blouse and bouncing skirts from the show. She cocked her hip and let her fingers slide her hair to one side of her lean neck.

Nichol rolled his eyes. It wasn't as if he hadn't been completely seduced by Cathy Bloom already. The woman had laughed in his face when he'd even begun to hint at deep insecurities. Her comment had been, "Sugar, I've put up with Trowa for years. You're no where near as complicated." Nichol hadn't been certain how to take the compliment, but her kisses were satisfactorily distracting. And fun. With Cathy, they both enjoyed themselves.

Then a shadow came between Nichol and the teasing posture of his girlfriend. Nichol momentarily couldn't place the face. Where he'd seen it before.

The local authorities hadn't spared any seriousness in their response to the young thieves. They'd sent the highest ranking officer in the Preventers.

The last person Nichol had ever expected to see again.

"Une..."

***

"Thanks for your cooperation... Nichol."

The way the woman paused before his name brought a cascade of memories to Nichol's mind. Her face on the view screen of his mobile suit. Rank, orders, agendas, betrayal and a cold sweat from a gun pointed at his face. _Lieutenant._ That was the unspoken word lingering in that space.

"Yeah, sure." Nichol hadn't given any sign that he knew her or didn't. After Une's soldiers had taken the boys away, Nichol had sat on the bed. Cathy dropped next to him, looping his arm with her own. Now and again he could hear her begin to hum the first notes of a song before catching herself and stopping. Une's eyes drifted between them. Trowa hadn't moved from his place by the window.

Une closed her data pad and held it out for a thumb print. Nichol offered his left digit but Une shook her head. "Other hand." Cathy obligingly untangled herself from Nichol as he made his mark on the electronic document.

"It's been a long time," Une observed then. She tilted her head. "I hardly expected to see the two of you ever again, let alone in proximity of each other."

"Barton got me the job." Nichol caught an opportunity to be snide and the old filters of his personality allowed the rudeness through. "Unlike some of my friends."

"Friends?" Une chuckled. "I'm pretty sure you wanted to be more than friends."

Nichol grumbled, his lips floundering over a retort. "Hardly," he said at last with pointless fervor.

"I should have thanked you for the last time." Une tilted her head the other way. Nichol could almost imagine the reflective glint of the glasses she no longer wore. "You did save my life. Perhaps I should let you take me to dinner while the circus is nearby."

Stunned, Nichol didn't say anything as Une let herself out. With comically raised eyebrows, Trowa left soon after. Nichol stared at the closed door.

"So, Viktor..." Catherine's voice had an edge like a knife. One wrong move and Nichol knew he was going to get hurt.

***

Outside, Trowa soundlessly chuckled. One of the clowns had taken Nichol's shift at the ticket booth. They were probably losing some profit in the exchange, but the budget allowed for mistakes, not that they happened as often under Nichol's watch. The pipe organ began to swell to volumes that nearly covered over the chattering of the crowds of people streaming from the gate to the big tent. His act was later. With almost forty-five minutes to kill, he quickened his pace to catch up with Lady Une.

"Quick thinking asking for the highest authority to deal with those petty crooks." Une gave him a pointed look.

"Thanks for taking care of our little problem," he said.

"Of course, but do you think it worked?" She stopped near a circus girl selling colorful balloons.

Stepping forward, Trowa took one of the strings and offered the toy to her with an exaggerated bow. "He's hardly changed at all. It'll work."

"Then why didn't you provoke him?" She mused watching as Trowa tied the string around her wrist.

"To his credit, Nichol has always been immune to my plots of subterfuge. Moreover, I don't want to be in the line of Catherine's fury. She's like a sister to me." Trowa studied his handiwork and grinned. "You should stay. See the show."

"I'm not certain that's a good idea. Let's not forget you did cast me as the villain in your little plan," Une smiled, a sad expression.

Trowa might have said more except just then the door to Nichol's trailer snapped open and a dark flash bolted into the distance. Soon after Catherine's screech followed. "How dare you propose to me like this! Next time make sure you have a ring, you idiot." The last was said with a hint of outraged laughter.

Turning back to his guest, Trowa offered his arm, "Lady?"

"Perhaps I will stay. The evening has already turned out more entertaining than I'd expected."

"Excellent decision," Trowa led her into the lights and colors. "Consider this one clown in your debt"


End file.
